I've done a few MrBeer kits, and my 1st 5 gal batch has been in my bucket fermenter for a week now. I've found that the 5 gal batch brewed in the kitchen (according to my wife) stunk up the house too much.
So I'd like to move the process outside. We have a turkey fryer setup already, but that was primarily used to steam lobsters in the past, so the pot is no good for this. At least i have the burner though.
Of course, I'm trying to do things on the cheap, so a huge stainless pot is not ideal, financially. I'm not planning on going all grain any time soon, so it will be extract brews with steeping grains for a while. If I go to grain, it will likely be a partial mash, beverage cooler type of set up most likely. Maybe one of the larger coolers. But that's down the road.
If brewing extract recipes, it seems I'd be better to be able to brew the hole batch in the pot. Otherwise it means boiling water and cooling it ahead of time to have clean water for the fermenter. But going to a 6 gallon boil also means I'd need a wort cooler, right? Otherwise it would take forever to cool. For my Amber kit brew I did last week, I brewed about 2.5 gallons on the stovetop and prepped the bucket with 2 gallons of cold water to pour into. Cooling the smaller boil pot in the sink with an ice bath still took some time.
So, I'm thinking I should try to get a decent size (how big do I need to be able to handle a full boil for 5 gal batches? Do I need to go as big as 32 qt?)
Aluminum seems to be a bit of a debate on most brew forums. Some swear it's fine as long as you clean it the right way. Others say to go stainless to be safe and sure. Either way, I then need a wort chiller. I'd likely run it outside, using a garden hose to it and then from it (I could just run it off to a sprinkler to water the lawn).
I'm sticking to a bucket for a fermenter. Might eventually get a second one, given they aren't expensive, rather than getting a 5 gal secondary carboy.
Am I missing anything major for the moment? My basement will be cool enough in the spring to ferment (too cold in the winter months) so temp control is pretty manual (using different spots in the house depending on the temps, plus a large tub I can put the fermenter into, using water and/or ice or hot water bottles.
So I'd like to move the process outside. We have a turkey fryer setup already, but that was primarily used to steam lobsters in the past, so the pot is no good for this. At least i have the burner though.
Of course, I'm trying to do things on the cheap, so a huge stainless pot is not ideal, financially. I'm not planning on going all grain any time soon, so it will be extract brews with steeping grains for a while. If I go to grain, it will likely be a partial mash, beverage cooler type of set up most likely. Maybe one of the larger coolers. But that's down the road.
If brewing extract recipes, it seems I'd be better to be able to brew the hole batch in the pot. Otherwise it means boiling water and cooling it ahead of time to have clean water for the fermenter. But going to a 6 gallon boil also means I'd need a wort cooler, right? Otherwise it would take forever to cool. For my Amber kit brew I did last week, I brewed about 2.5 gallons on the stovetop and prepped the bucket with 2 gallons of cold water to pour into. Cooling the smaller boil pot in the sink with an ice bath still took some time.
So, I'm thinking I should try to get a decent size (how big do I need to be able to handle a full boil for 5 gal batches? Do I need to go as big as 32 qt?)
Aluminum seems to be a bit of a debate on most brew forums. Some swear it's fine as long as you clean it the right way. Others say to go stainless to be safe and sure. Either way, I then need a wort chiller. I'd likely run it outside, using a garden hose to it and then from it (I could just run it off to a sprinkler to water the lawn).
I'm sticking to a bucket for a fermenter. Might eventually get a second one, given they aren't expensive, rather than getting a 5 gal secondary carboy.
Am I missing anything major for the moment? My basement will be cool enough in the spring to ferment (too cold in the winter months) so temp control is pretty manual (using different spots in the house depending on the temps, plus a large tub I can put the fermenter into, using water and/or ice or hot water bottles.